


Trouble Comes in Threes

by Persephonerose1313



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I'm Bad At Tagging, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Original Female Character, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Romance, Slow Burn, courier - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-05-01 00:44:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14508771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephonerose1313/pseuds/Persephonerose1313
Summary: Three minutes is all it took for Janie Lewis's life to be turned on it's head.Three MinutesThree ShotsThree Dead Bodies





	1. UPDATE

**Author's Note:**

> HI! Welcome to my first big work! I'm still learning, so I'm sorry if it's sucky (I hope to get better as I go along). Enjoy!

I am so sorry to those of you reading this story. I have a very good reason why it hasn't been updated in almost 2 months and why updates will be very slow going forward. I'm trying to escape an abusive marriage (I am trying to get physically separated, but housing keeps falling through). My computer lives at a friend's house right now, so it's rare that I get to use it. I'm writing in a notebook, I've got the next chapter mostly done. But I hope that you can forgive me for not being up to, or having time to write. Thanks guys, I'm really, really sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

My eyes flew open and the daily wake-up trumpets blared. I groaned and rubbed my eyes, trying to quickly ready myself for the day. My morning ritual was a flurry of flying clothes, bed making, a rush to get everything ready for the final day of basic training. Needless to say, I had my bags packed and bed made in record time; I was ready to get back to the real world.

“He’s coming!” One of my bunk mates called out in warning. We lined up for inspection and roll call _. In a little house in Paris, all covered in vines, lived twelve little girls, in two straight lines._ I bit the inside of my cheek to make sure the silly thought didn’t make me laugh out loud. The clomp-clomp of heavy boots filled the tense silence that had enveloped our bunkhouse. Our Instructor was one of the toughest at the camp. He wouldn’t hesitate to give latrine duty at the littlest infraction. If you were lucky, you’d only get 50 laps. He liked laps.

Instructor Mills strolled in to the barracks and stood, facing us in a stony silence of his own. “Ladies,” his loud, booming voice rang out. Everyone straightened up. “Today you graduate from being little maggots to being actual, productive members of society.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his large frame beginning to shake. His voice grew tight with emotion. “I’m...I’m just so proud of you girls.” The floodgates opened up, and Mills bawled. No one moved. No one knew how to handle our Instructor suddenly go from super strict, show no mercy, to big teddy bear.

“Sir?” I timidly asked. My voice seemed to snap him out of it.

“At ease. We’ll reconvene before the parade march at 1300.” The parade march was a time honored tradition of all the cadets walking together, showing how we are one unit. Mills pivoted and left us.  
We stood frozen until the footsteps went away. Then the giggling started.

“Mills? Tough as nails Mills? Bawling like a baby?” One of my bunk mates was laughing so hard she was doubled over. I gave a little awkward chuckle. It was weird to see, but I just felt sorry for the poor man. Everyone just went about doing what they’d do on a normal rest period. Lounging, hanging out, reading magazines. I watched other trainees as they milled about outside. The conversations soon turned to the graduation ceremony and families.

“I can’t wait to see my sister,” Karen, the girl from the bunk next to mine remarked. “I get to show her that I could make it through the training, even if she couldn’t.” She turned to me with a friendly smile. “What about you Janie? Who are you looking forward to seeing?” I paled and looked awkwardly down at my bed.

“I’m…..I’m not...” My voice got weak and tiny. “I don’t have anyone coming.” A magazine went flying and hit Karen.

“Idiot, her family...” The noises of the room blurred together as I fell further and further into my thoughts.

\--------------------------------------------------------Three Months Prior------------------------------------------------------------

“Janie, come on,” Tommy called from the front room. “Just pick a game! Doesn’t matter which one!” I was in the secret alcove, hidden in my closet, digging through the dozens of board games we had collected in the 22 years I’d been on Earth.  
“Calm down brother dearest,” I joked. “Perfection takes time. And if I have to sit through another dumb game night, might as well do it right.” I rolled my eyes. It was one of my mom’s rules. _“If you are going to live at home, you are going to play by our rules.”_ Hardy Har Har.

There was a sudden silence and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. A moment later, my senses were assaulted with the sound of breaking glass and a door being thrown open. Screams filled the air. Three shots rang out. I threw myself on the floor and tried to sneak a peak from hiding spot. I gasped. A bloodied hand rested in the hall, in front of the door to my room. _Tommy? No. It can’t be._ Tears streamed down my face at the realization, and I covered my mouth with my hand to not risk being overheard.

 

I don’t know how long I waited there. Minutes? Hours?

 

 

“We’ve got a live one” a feminine voice called out. I groaned and tried to move, but was held against the floor. “Shhh, don’t move.” The voice was gentle and kind.

“Mom?” I groggily called out. A soft hand brushed some of the hair from my face, before the voice introduced herself.

“I’m Captain Ana Amari with Overwatch. I’m here to help you, you’re going to be okay.” Reality set in fast and hard. Muscles angry and sore from staying tense for so long, I was content to not move for the moment. I wasn’t in bed like I would have been had I been asleep like normal, I was on the floor. Memories of the noises and screams come flooding back, overloading me. I slowly opened my eyes to see a woman with tan skin and long, flowing black hair kneeling next to me.

“My parents? My brother?” She didn’t need to say anything, her face said it all. My tears flowed freely again, catching in my hair. I stayed rooted to my spot, the last place I was before my world changed.

* * *

  
I blinked back the tears that the raw memories brought out. I’m not that person anymore. I’m stronger, I’ve been trained. I WILL make them proud. Twisting my dark blonde hair, I wrangled it up into a regulation bun. I take a deep breath and hurry to help the others get ready.

\-----1300 hours------

There was an excited, anxious energy filling the air. A nervousness that came with finding out your positions, rank, and unit. The girls chatted about where they hoped to be placed.

“I want to be on the front lines! I can kick as much ass I want and not get in trouble for it!”  
“Uh-uh. Research is where it’s at.”  
“No. You’re both wrong, Jack Morrison is where it’s at.” Wiggly eyebrows sent off a cascade of laughter. I smiled at how normal it all was. We weren’t trainees, soon to be soldiers; we were just a bunch of girls teasing and flirting and just living.

 

The ceremony was long and boring. We paraded in, listened to a bunch of speeches, before lining up to get the envelope that held our futures. When it was my turn, I took the blue envelop and held it to my chest. Others immediately ripped theirs open, but I was going to wait until I was alone, back at my bunk.

“Welcome to the rest of your lives,” the lead instructor announced, cuing the end of the ceremony. Whoops and cheers sounded off from the newest members of the military. Most of the others peeled off to go find their families. A bittersweet smile dusted my face. I was happy for them, but still mourning my own loss. I turned to walk back to my safe haven, away from all the happy reunions. A voice stops me dead in my tracks.

“Congratulations Janie.” A figure wove her way through the crowd of people to stand before me. I rushed to give her a hug and my smile went from bittersweet to genuine.

“Ana! What are you doing here?” I stepped back and gaped at her. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but why?” Ana hugged me before steering me to the edge of the crowd.

Ana had kept an eye on me after taking me away from my blood-stained home. We wrote letters and she even sent treats from time to time. “Am I not allowed to see my favorite recruit graduate? And I had some people I wanted you to meet.” We were standing in front of two, very large men. Two handsome men that I recognized, but Ana officially introduced anyways. “Janie, these are Commanders Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes.” I blushed deeply. Not only were they incredibly handsome, but they were also some of the top members of Overwatch. _Get it together, you’re acting like a teenage. A stupid, stupid-_

“Pleasure to meet you,” Jack put on his award winning smile and shook my hand. I was instantly dazzled. My tongue had wound itself into knots. I just smiled brightly instead.

“Have you found what your position is yet?” Ana eyed my sealed envelope. I ran my fingers over the top thoughtfully. Reyes scoffed.

“You scared?” I looked into his chocolate brown eyes, and tried to at least look like I was confident standing toe-to-toe with a commander.

“Not at all. Though it doesn’t really matter what position I get, I’ll be happy regardless.” He smirked and gestured the go ahead. I raised my chin defiantly and without looking, I broke the seal. A small, golden token tumbled out with my letter.

 

 

 **JANIE BEATRICE LEWIS**  
**OVERWATCH**  
**PERSONAL COURIER FOR WATCHPOINT: SWITZERLAND**  
**REPORT FOR TRANSPORT**

 

 

I looked up from my paper to meet Ana’s gaze. A proud smile lit her face, one that mirrored my own. “Did you?” Ana shook her head.

“All you, now, go. Transport leaves in 10.” I squeed and threw my arms around her again, before putting on a serious face.

“Thank you, I’m going to work very hard for all of you.” I met the eyes of the trio before dashing off to collect my things.

Jack pulled up Janie’s record on his holopad. “Did you really not pull any strings Ana?” His voice laced with suspicion. Ana shrugged.

“I merely saw her strengths in espionage and the ability to handle confidential information. And then pointed it out to the right committees.” Reyes gave Ana a bemused look and checked the record for himself.  
“Extra tests, really? You can get in trouble if the wrong people find out, Ana.”

“But she passed with flying colors, you can’t deny results.” Ana crossed her arms.

“Marksmanship- proficient; Hand-to-Hand- needs work; stealth-top marks” Reyes read off some of the stats. He paused before erupting into laughter. Jack raised an eyebrow. “Take a listen to this. ‘When asked, Ms. Lewis stated that her training mantra was to ‘work smarter not harder.’ 50 laps given for snark.” Reyes shook his head. _She’s going to be something else._

 

......

 

With my bags packed and good byes wished, I boarded the transport that would take me to Overwatch Headquarters. Ana gave me a stack of documents to sign and look over, before leaving me to my work. I spread my papers out around me on the floor of the ship, sorting out what was important and what was just legal fluff. There I sat until my legs started to cramp. I tried to get things finished and reorganized before my legs got any angrier, but a shadow covered my work before I could get any farther. I sighed and took in the scent of armor cleaner and worn leather.

“Yes Commander Reyes?” I didn’t bother looking up. “Can I be of some assistance?” I could feel his gaze burning the back of my neck.

“We’ll be landing soon. Find a seat and strap in.”

I stared out the window, comparing the snowy mountain peaks to my little hometown. HQ was tucked into the countryside, just outside of the city of Zurich. My town had been as flat and boring as could be. Parades for holidays, a festival here and there; We’d even won “The Most All-American Town, In America” award five years running! But this was different; the view was amazing and so serene, with the exception of transports taking off.

The transport thumped as it touched down. Seconds later, the doors hissed as the mag-locks released. I unbuckled the safety belt before launching to my feet. I couldn’t even take a step before I getting off balance. Before I could hit the floor, a pair of big arms scooped under my arms.

“Easy there,” Reyes murmured into my ear. I muttered my thanks and moved away. My ears and face flushed by how close he’d been. Ana turned from her spot on the gangplank and gave Reyes a look that I couldn’t read.

“Hurry up Janie. We need to get you settled in.”

.....

 

“Here is your map, your uniforms, laundry is done on Thursdays, bathroom is down the hall and I think that is everything.” Ana listed off after a short tour. She led me into my new room. It was tiny, with just enough space for a bed, nightstand, dresser, and desk. Though it at least had a small window at the top of the wall, allowing some natural light to float in. “Report to Winston in the morning for you holopad and gear. Good luck.” She ruffled my hair before departing.

 _Four o’clock. Too early for dinner._ I sighed. I really didn’t want to go out and interact with people just yet. I was all peopled out after dealing with the crowds of initiates and their families. I gazed around my room distastefully. _I can’t just stay here either._ I made up my mind to go out. I grabbed a change of clothes and headed down the hall.

My shoes clicked and echoed in the open space of the shower room.

“Hello?” I called out, praying no one was in there. There was no answer, but I still went to the far end of the room and picked a stall. I stripped down to nothing and turned on the water. It took a minute, but soon, hot water poured over. My skin turned bright pink from the heat. I hummed, happily enjoying the small luxury I hadn’t been able to enjoy for months. Even after getting cleaned, I just stood under the stream of water. I still wasn’t ready to face my new life.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stand there naked all day,” a bouncy voice echoed. I caught a crown of red hair bobbing up and down as the owner jumped, trying to find the occupied stall. “You must be new!”

“Yep, just got in today.” My response stilted and awkward. Who would actually feel comfortable holding a conversation with a stranger while naked? I shut off my water to hear her better.

“My name is Kara. Welcome to HQ.” The girl took the opportunity to rip the curtain aside. I gave a little yelp and covered myself with a towel fast. “Come on,” Kara said, taking charge. “You just got done with basic then right? You definitely need food after that. 5 minutes or I’m dragging you out in whatever state of dress you’re in.” I wrung my hair out and threw it into a quick braid. _There is no getting out of this, is there?_

_....._

 

5 minutes later, we were headed out to grab food. The mess hall was bursting with people of all shapes, sizes, and creeds. Kara and I grabbed our trays and lined up. My new best friend, her own words, was more than happy to chat my ear off, but at least it was informative. She gave me the low-down on everything and everyone.

“Alright, what do you know about Winston?” I prompted Kara.

“Winston? Okay, so he’s this big ape that lives in the lab. He’s super smart and can talk and everything. Some say he came from the moon. Oh! And he definitely likes his peanut butter. Pretty cool in my book.” We snagged a table off to the side, near some windows. I ate and Kara chatted some more, with the occasional person popping over to say hello. Kara introduced me to all of them, trying to keep me involved. "I know what it's like to be the new person," her mouth was full of food, but she talked anyways. "I was in your spot a few months ago. But if you talk to enough people, you'll find some that you want to stick around. Like me!" Her fork gestured to the tables of people. "There are so many people, you are bound to find at least a few with some similar interests and then you'll be stuck; fully integrated into the amoeba that is Overwatch. Oh! And they sometimes have events here, like game nights and such. So, it's not all work and no play." Kara stopped talking to scrutinize me.

"What?" I wiped my face, hoping there was nothing there. "What are you looking at?"

"Do you have a......significant other?" She was coy. I sputtered and blushed.

"No-o. I haven't had much time." I pushed the food around my tray. "You know? Between being at basic and all?"  _Do I even want to try dating right now? Probably not a good idea._ "Any guys I should avoid?" That was enough to send Kara on a lecture about the playboys of Overwatch HQ.

"You know what, I'll just send you a list." She smiled. "There are some good candidates."

"Um....sure?"  _A list that could accidentally get lost or burned._

..... 

 

We parted ways, she had to get back to her coms station and I wanted to walk the halls. I strolled around with my map out, making little notes as I went along. “Okay, so these are training rooms A through C,” I muttered, getting myself oriented. “So that means-” I walked into what felt like a brick wall. A tobacco and gunpowder scented wall.

“Woah there,” two hands steadied my shoulders. I cringed and took a step back, to get a better look at who I had walked into. My heart stilled in my chest.

“Tom-tommy?” I stuttered. The man standing before me had the same build and features that my brother had. Images of my brother’s bloodied hand and arm suddenly filled my mind. My breathing quickened. A light sheen of sweat coated my skin.

“Hey,” the man’s voice pulled me from my mind. “Are you okay?” The remaining images of my brother dissolved as I shook my head.

“I’m sorry,” my voice was small and quiet. “I wasn’t watching where I was going and then you look like my brother so that threw me off even more and I’m sorry for running into you.” I didn’t take a breath, trying to get out everything I could possibly say in one go. _It’s not even my first official day and I’m already running into people and screwing up._ My eyes never left the tiled floor.

“Were ya lookin’ to do some trainin’?” The man politely ignored my embarrassment and discomfort. He was dressed in cowboy style, boots with spurs included. _Different style, focus on that. He’s not Tommy._ I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, and met his gaze. _Different eyes too, good._ The man’s dark eyes watched me carefully, concerned.

“No, Um. I’m the new Courier. I wanted to get a feel for where things were before I came on duty.” I smiled weakly. “And now I know that there will also be people in the hallways.” He smiled at my bad joke and tipped his hat.

“Jesse McCree at your service miss.”

“Janie Lewis,” I curtsied, still on autopilot. McCree laughed and I joined in. “I’m not normally this silly, I swear.” The tightness in my chest was gradually lessening. A beep sounded from McCree’s pocket. I stared at him and blinked expectantly. “Aren’t you going to get that? I don’t want to keep you from anything.”

He shrugged. “I’m talkin’ to you, ain’t I? It’d be mighty rude to interrupt.” The beep sounded again.

“Yeah, but if you are supposed to be doing something, it’d be rude of me to keep you from it.” He just waved his hand, dismissing me. A third beep rang out before we could start a full conversation. Training room C’s door flew open, followed by a very angry Reyes.

“McCree!” He stomped over. “We were supposed to meet 20 minutes ago, but your late ass never showed!” Before I could speak up, McCree stepped in.

“Well I ran into this lovely desert bloom and-”

“And I was asking him for directions.” I stood in between McCree and Reyes. “I had some questions about a few different places and he was nice enough to indulge my endless list. I’m sorry sir.” Reyes narrowed his eyes, looking from McCree to me and back. His angry gaze trying to light us on fire.

“You.” He pointed at McCree. “Hit the mats. 100 push-ups.” His finger went to me next. “Janie. Learn to read a damn map. You can’t expect others to do your job for you.” I hung my head in mock guilt. That is not what I was doing, but okay.

“Yes sir, Won’t happen again sir.” Reyes turned and stormed away again. McCree gave a casual wave before following.

.....

 

I laid in bed, staring at my ceiling. My alarm hadn’t gone off yet, but I was too excited to start the day. I sighed, finally getting up. I looked over my closet. At least it’s all uniforms, so it’s not like I have to worry about what to wear. “White button up and blue skirt it is! Or I could go with the white button up and blue skirt. Choices, choices.” Sarcasm dripped from my lips. I plaited my hair to keep it out of my way without being too severe.

“Knock, Knock,” Kara barged in. “I have breakfast!” A brown bag filled with danishes flew at me. “I have coffee too, but I’m not going to chance spilling a drop of this ambrosia.” I tried to give her a stern look, but broke down and laughed instead. She escorted me down the hall to Winston’s lab. “Have a good day! Meet me for lunch!” Kara gave a sunny smile and hug, before running of to the communications’ lab.

I rapped my knuckles against the cool metal of the door before entering. “Winston?” I called out. “It’s Janie, I was told to come see you.” Glancing around the room, I saw tables filled with all sorts of tools and half-finished projects. There was also an overabundance of empty peanut butter jars and banana peels. My eyes landed on a giant ape typing away furiously at a computer station. I hesitated, but tried again, “Winston?”

“Huh? Oh!” Winston jumped and finally noticed me. “Whoops, sorry ‘bout that!”

30 minutes later, Winston had given me my holopad and explained how to use it plus all the extra functions mine would have as part of my job. “When someone has a delivery request, it’ll pop up here in the ‘Requests Received’ tab. If it’s red, it means it’s priority and you should get those done first.”

I looked over the holopad and messed with it for a few minutes. “Wouldn’t it work better in watch form?” I mumbled to myself. “Have it projected or something?”

“Maybe, but that would create privacy issues.” Winston had hear me as he dug under his desk for something.

“What if the holo-fields were synced up to a pair of glasses or contacts? That way only the person wearing it could see the feed?”

Winston stopped for a moment and thought over my idea. “That….that could work. Give me a few days and I’ll see what I can do. Ah-ha!” He pulled out a pretty red messenger bag and held it out to me. “Ana requested this for you, but I added some pockets. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

The tech-cloth bag was amazing, I checked all the pockets and felt the strength. There were armor plates inside, thin enough to be flexible, but still shielded. I smiled at the big ape. “Thanks Winston, it means a lot to me.” A lot of my things had been taken into evidence after I was taken into Ana’s care, so I didn’t have a whole lot of things that were ‘mine’. I threw my arms around the tech wizard. He chuckled and patted my head.

“Cary it with you to show you are on duty. Welcome to the team.”


	3. Chapter 3

_First delivery of the day_ _goes to…._ I scanned my list. Torbjorn was up first, followed by medical supplies for Angela. I grabbed my bag and headed out to the workshop. They kept Torbjorn’s workshop in a separate building, in case of fire or explosion. The wind kicked up loose dirt and grass, blowing it around the pavement. The air was damp with the rain that threatened to fall.

“Torb?” I called out, walking in the big doors. Banging sounded from the back corner. “Torbjorn?” I called a little louder, following the loud sounds. The little man was banging away on a mini-turret when it exploded into a puff of smoke and fire.

“Gah!” Curses and frustrated grumbles erupted from Torbjorn. “Piece of scrap!” He kicked the table near the mini-turret. I grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the flame quickly. This was a weekly, if not daily, occurrence that I had become accustomed to.

 Good morning Torbjorn,” I spoke cheerfully. “What can I do for you today?”

“You could start by getting this damn thing to actual work,” his words earned a look. “Or you could just grab more nuts, bolts, and wire. I need it for a project I’m starting this afternoon.” He passed over a list numbering his requirements. I smiled and dashed back towards the main door.

\-----

Around and around I ran. From here to there and back again. By the time my shift ended, I was winded. _Damnit. I gotta do more cardio. I hate cardio._ I dragged myself to the rec room where Kara was waiting at one of the tables.

“Are you ready to go down?” She challenged, crossing her arms across her chest. Kara’s sweet face was trying to contort itself into a smirk, but she couldn’t keep her face straight.

“Only if it’s to down to winnersville,” I lamely replied. It still earned a chuckle from her. She shuffled the cards once, handing them off to me to shuffle again and deal. “Ready to declare war?”

 

Back and forth we laid our cards down. Until no cards were left. At least, in my pile.

 

“Oh yeah!” Kara pumped her fist in the air. “My lucky streak continues.” I rubbed my forehead and shook my head. “That means, you owe me.” Kara tapped her chin in thought. We had mini-punishments that we doled out to the loser of our weekly games. Kara’s eyes held a mischievous glimmer. “This time you’re going to have to deliver my dinner every night for the rest of this week.”

“Really?” _That can’t be all._

“And it has to be in a maid outfit.” _And there it is._ Kara booped my nose. “And I have the late shifts. So bring my stuff at 7pm to the coms office. Don’t be late!”

\----

I wondered down to the quartermaster’s store room. Inside held most of the costumes and disguises we could need in our line of work. Rows and rows stretched out before me.

“What do you need?”

I jumped. Sonya, the quartermaster, had snuck up behind me. “Hi,” I said a little too loud. “Um, I need a maid outfit. If you have one.”

Her eyes narrowed and she scoffed. “This better not be for some silly fetish play.” My cheeks darkened.

“No-o,” I stuttered. “It’s for a dare?” She still gave me a look signifying she did not believe a word I was saying. We walked down a row until we came to a section filled with waitstaff outfits.

“This stuff is supposed to be for official missions, not just fun.” Sonya handed over the maid outfit anyways. “Bring it back in impeccable condition or your paycheck will feel my wrath.” I nodded enthusiastically and took the outfit quickly before Sonya could change her mind.

 

\---

 

Dinner time came too fast. Cheeks burning, maid outfit on, I ran to the mess hall to pick up a box of food to go. I tried to ignore the leers and confused looks.

“It’s not Halloween,” a cadet said behind her hand. “What is that girl wearing?” She and her friend laughed and my skin turned a darker red. _Get in, get out, one day down._ I started shoveling whatever looked good into the box.

“Howdy,” I turned around to see a smirking Jesse. He looked me up and down.

“Don’t. Say. Anything.” I warned. A scoop of rice went into the box. Jesse started grabbing his own plate of food.

“New uniform?” He attempted to keep a straight face. It didn’t work. A chuckle escaped him and I tensed even more. I was wound tighter than a spring, but didn’t respond. The chicken in front of me was oh so interesting. “New position?” He waggled his eyebrows when I glared at him. There were tears beginning to well up in my eyes. Kara’s box was slammed shut and I turned to make an escape. “Hey there,” he grabbed my arm. “I didn’t mean to upset ya now.”

I froze where I was. “I lost a bet. And I hate drawing attention to myself, so for me, this is the worst.” My voice was small, I kept my gaze focused on Kara’s box. “And you’re making more of a scene, so if you’ll excuse me. I have a delivery to make.” I worked on putting one foot in front of the other. I blinked back my tears and held my chin up. _Look at the door. No one else exists._ I wasn’t lucky enough to escape. Spurs jingled and Jesse was falling in step with me.

“So Reyes sent us to this little town in the middle of nowhere,” McCree chatted as we walked. I didn’t tell him to go away, but I tried to just ignore him. “We’d gotten chatter that the town was infested with omnics. Turned out they were wrong. It’s was just filled to the brim with octogenarians! A town full of little old ladies.” Jesse laughed at his own story, remembering the details fondly. “We were so embarrassed. They insisted we come in for lemonade and cookies and just kept going on about the good old days. Me, I would have preferred to face the omnics.” He looked at me from the corner of his eye. “Families and the like make me uncomfortable.” That’s when it hit me that he was trying to make up for the mess hall scene. I sighed and stopped moving.

“McCree.” My lips twitched upwards into a small smile. “Go eat your dinner.”

“What? By myself?” He pretended to be offended. “When I could go eat with you and Kara? It’s a no brainer.”

We walked through the halls with Jesse giving glares to anyone that was staring or whispering. It seemed to help some, or maybe they just got better at hiding their reactions until after we were out of earshot. I started to slow down, dreading the next few hallways. To get to the coms room, we’d have to pass by the offices for Morrison, Reyes, and Ana. I prayed that they stayed inside their rooms or that they just weren’t there at all. _One corner to go._ I was internally leaping for joy, as I was nearly past the offices.

 

But luck wasn’t on my side.

 

A man in a very nice suit turned the corner, heading towards us. I froze and nearly dropped Kara’s food. He eyed me and McCree, his face pasted with a fake smile. “Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Janie. It’s been a few months, hasn’t it?” _Fuck._ All the color dripped from my face. Our last meeting had not been pleasant.

“Mr. Lacroix, hello.” My words came out nervous and breathy. “I thought you were stationed in Rome.” I picked at the edge of my skirt, feeling the stitches and embroidery there.

“How prudent of you to remember. Yes, I’m usually stationed in Rome.” He gave no additional information, so I nodded.

“We’ll I’ve got a delivery to make,” I held up the box to make my point. “So I’ll bid you Adieu.” I walked away as fast as I could without being too rude, making it to the door of the coms room quickly. McCree soon caught up after giving his own farewell. He put a hand on my shoulder, concerned. I shrugged it off.

“Don’t worry about it.” I wasn't ready to deal with it again just yet.

…..

 

I sat in an Overwatch facility. Where I was, I didn’t know. It didn’t matter to me. The room was cold, sterile. Barren with the exception of my chair, a table, and a row of mirrors. I had to stare at myself. My cold gray eyes haunted, ringed red from all the crying I had done. Blonde hair limp and greasy from lack of care. My face isn’t the only one I see. I see them. My family. They are all I can think about.

The sound of the door opening attempted to pull me from my head.

“Mademoiselle Lewis,” the french version of James Bond stood in front of me. He had a stack of files in his hands, the man flipping between a few of the pages like a doctor would before assessing a patient. “Do you know who I am?”

“No,” I wisper, my voice croaky from disuse. “Am I supposed to?”

“I am Gerard Lacroix.” He paced slowly, his footsteps echoing in the uncomfortable silence that filled the room. When I didn’t react, he cleared his throat and continued. “You are the daughter of Monsieur John Lewis, no? What can you tell me about him?” I blinked and tried to think of everything relevant that I could.

“Well, he is...was,” I corrected myself. “Was a scientist.” Tears welled up as I thought about my dad and sitting with him while he worked on research. He would explain everything to me as he was doing it. It broke my heart into even more pieces than it had already been shattered into.

“Did he specialize in anything?” Lacroix stopped, his back facing me. I stared at the table, trying to think.

“No? Maybe? His last project was on Gene therapy. Gene Manipulation I think?” Lacroix’s pen scratched down some notes in one of the files.

“Mademoiselle-”

“Janie,” I interrupted him. _Mademoiselle seems too different and formal for me right now._ _“_ You can just call me Janie.”

“Janie,” he emphasized my name. His hands slammed down onto the table, threatening to break it. “Was your dad working for Talon?”

 No!” I yelled, leaping out of my chair. I had heard of the corrupt, evil organization. “He would never!”

“Did your mother?” He pressed, leaning forward.

“She was just a teacher, what would Talon want with her?” I crossed my arms, hugging my body. Lacroix just shrugged.

“Easy access to the future of the world. It’s easy enough to influence them, bend them to your way of thinking if you start early enough.” His words were not accusatory, just even. That made me feel even worse. Lacroix motioned for me to sit down again, but I turned away instead.

“None of us would ever work for them, okay?” My voice was small, barely audible over the white noise of the heating system.

 

“Lacroix” Ana sipped her tea as she watched the young woman being interrogated in the next room. “He’s already treating her like she’s the enemy, but she’s not.” She had a gut feeling about you and your situation, but not enough to voice her opinion.

 

“He knows what he’s doing,” the strike commander took a chair beside the sniper. “And he’s going easy on her by going straight to the point.”

 

“It’s not like he can be physical,” Ana was relieved at that. “I’m still not sure why we couldn’t be the ones to talk to her. She’d answer us.”

 

“You’re too close to this Ana, you know that.” Morrison took a swig of water. “And Gerard is the best there is. If there is something we’ve missed, he’ll get it.”

 

 

“Why would Talon send snipers after your family?” Lacroix continued his questions, pushing me again. My emotions were running so high, I just wanted this to all be done with.

“I don’t know.” I answered through gritted teeth.

“Why were you the only one to survive?” His voice boomed, making me shake.

“I’ve been asking myself the same exact thing.” I slumped against the wall, curling in on myself. I replayed the night, the shots, the murders. It kept circling around me, making me more and more hysterical. Lacroix sent a message for Angela to come down and administer something.

…..

 

I woke up screaming, my throat raw. Someone was pounding on the wall. My poor neighbor had been awoken by my nightmare. I curled up back into bed and tried to ground myself back to the present. It wasn’t the first time I had relived my interrogation and it wouldn’t be the last.

 

The clock on the wall read 4:15am. It was no use trying to go back to sleep. I flipped on the lamp beside my bed, bathing the room in a warm glow. The light was safe. I dragged myself out of bed and put on training gear before rushing out the door.

 

…..

 

There was this little path that ran around the base. Around the buildings, out into the artificially created forest and back up to the workshop. I stretched out my muscles and got ready. My feet hot the ground in a steady beat. As soon as I hit the tree line, I began dodging branches and roots. _Left. Right. Jump. Duck. Breathe._ I kept up a steady, but cautious pace. I wasn’t that familiar with the path and how embarrassing would it be to have to limp back to the med lab because of a damn root? _Gerard Fucking Lacroix just had to come to the base I was at. But he is part of Overwatch, so I was bound to run into him at some point._ I huffed. I steered my mind to other things, like what my life could have been like.

I daydreamed too much and suddenly, the world was upside down. I clamped down on my bottom lip, holding in a scream as pain shot up my leg. I swore in frustration. _Stupid. You are so stupid. Now you have to sneak to the Med bay and hope you can make it there by yourself!_ I gritted my teeth and positioned myself into a crouch on my good foot, using my hands for stability. I rose slowly and took a deep breath. I gingerly tried setting my other foot on the ground. A loud, breathy gasp left my lips. My ankle was screaming ‘Bad mistake!’

Footsteps crunched behind me. My body froze. I put my hands up in a guarding position. If I were to be attacked, I’d be screwed, but I couldn’t let them know that.

“Janie?” A gruff voice called out. I relaxed slightly. _Friend. Not foe._ Reyes approached. “What are you doing running in the dark?”

“Um. Hey Commander,” I was awkward. “I was...um….running? I wanted to see the sunrise?” _Smooth._ He stepped closer to me, the early rays of sunlight dusting him in a gentle glow. His piercing gaze looked me over. I had tucked my bad ankle my stable one. He raised an eyebrow.

“Shouldn’t you be getting back?” He asked.

“Mhm, I was taking a break to stretch, you go on ahead.”

“Nope, start walking Janie.” Reyes crossed his arms. I sighed angrily and tried to take a step. A little pressure sent off fireworks of pain. My lungs drew air in sharply.

“I can’t.” I looked away from him, the grass and trees becoming more interesting by the moment. “I kind of...did something to my ankle..” Reyes hummed and scooped me up. “Gah!” I was surprised and my heart started pounding.

“You could have just said so.” He kept his eyes to the path ahead. “And you never answered me. Why were you running in the dark?”

“I told you. I was running. Nothing more, nothing less.” I kept my voice flat. Reyes scowled. “What are you doing out here?”

“Running, nothing more, nothing less,” he mocked. He nudged open the door into the base. The bright lights blinded me for a second. My first instinct was to bury my face into Reyes’s chest. When I realized what I was did, I flinched and blushed. His arms had to wrap around me tighter to make sure I didn’t get dumped into the floor. He chuckled lightly, his chest rumbling against me.

 

…..

 

“Desk duty, for two days?!” I complained at lunch the next day. I stabbed at my fruit cup, spearing a slice of strawberry. At least I didn’t have to wear a huge brace. Nanites had healed me enough to where I just needed a simple wrap, but my body would have to do it’s own work from there.

“Oh it’s not that bad,” Kara laid her head on my shoulders. “I basically stay on desk duty.” It was true. As a coms officer, she was stationed on base, not out in the field. But at the same time, it wasn’t the same.

“You get to actively do stuff though. Me? I’m stuck with paperwork and invoices.” I sighed. “I don’t even have a desk, but I’ll live.” It’s not that I hate paperwork, it’s just that I would rather be running around the base like I normally did. _Now to find a place to work._


End file.
